FGD 54: Big game hunting (7pm MT, SN1)

There are a few games on the schedule that will determine whether the Calgary Flames (34-14-5, 73 points) win the Pacific Division or not. Tonight’s clash with the second place San Jose Sharks (31-16-7, 69 points) is one of those games. Separated by just four points, a Flames regulation win will give them a six point cushion and a Sharks regulation win would pull them within two points.

This game with major playoff consequences kicks off just after 7 p.m. MT on Sportsnet One and Sportsnet 360 The Fan. (The Oilers are playing at 6 p.m. MT on Sportsnet West.)

Projected lines, via Daily Faceoff:

David Rittich starts for the Flames, backed up by Mike Smith. Travis Hamonic is a game-time decision, which would bump Dalton Prout back to the press box. Austin Czarnik and Rinat Valiev are the other expected scratches – Valiev will probably be sent back to Stockton if/when Hamonic returns.

The Flames played a decent if uneven game against Washington but made mistakes at key times and lost. They were a lot better in Raleigh on Sunday and got a better result. The Flames are a talented group this season and you could make an argument that when they’re motivated they’re one of the very best in the entire National Hockey League. Playing against a team hot on the heels for the Pacific lead they should be a very motivated bunch.

Projected lines, via Daily Faceoff:

Martin Jones starts for the Sharks, backed up by Aaron Dell (who is from Airdrie). Joakim Ryan and Lukas Radil are the likely healthy scratches.

The Sharks are coming off a dramatic overtime win on Tuesday, which was preceded by a dramatic overtime win against Arizona, the All-Star Break, and a dramatic overtime win over Washington. But the Sharks haven’t won a game in regulation in their last six games, so they’re getting points the hard way (if they are at all). That said, they’ve been clutch over the last few games so they should be a tough opponent for the locals.

Expect this game to be a very, very entertaining, emotional 60+ minutes of ice hockey.

The Flames are without Michael Stone.

The Sharks are without Erik Karlsson.

This is the third of four games between Calgary and San Jose this season. So far the home team has won – San Jose won 3-1 in November while the Flames won 8-5 on New Year’s Eve. They’ll meet one more time in Silicon Valley at the end of March.

Your Sharks Twitter follows for tonight:

From peewee to the pros, Albertans love the atmosphere, energy, and life lessons that take place at rinks across the province. And where there’s an arena, you’ll find an ATB branch nearby—with our team members cheering and fundraising along with you. See more information at ATB.com.